I suck big time – this and the next chapter was completely in pieces so I've spent ages trying to get it right, I know that doesn't excuse me for how it's taken though. I hoping I've still got some loyal readers out there! Liley seems to have died a bit recently! I have been naughty and written another story as my head is crammed with ideas so I'll start rolling the ball with that one soon.

As ever thank to those people who reviewed – keep at it, I love to read them

Okay folks!

Natalia – Burning Star

Don't let them hold ya
They don't even know ya
They just wanna break you down
Till you give up

Make those misleaders into believers
Follow your dreams
The world is your kingdom.

"Grandma!" Miley embraced her Grandma tightly. Lilly stood to one side, as much as she liked Grandma Ruby, she still felt like a bit of an outsider.

"Hey baby girl! I've missed you so much. Where are your Daddy and Brother?" Ruby looked around.

"They'll be here tomorrow afternoon; Dad had something to sort out and Jackson had to dump Sienna back off at the airport." Miley let go of her Grandma. "Sorry Lil; didn't mean to leave you out."

"Hey." She softly smiled.

"Hey Lilly." Ruby smiled back. "Nice to see you again. Haven't you grown? And gone blonde."

"She's always been blonde Grandma." Miley stood next to Lilly. "Just a few hairdressing trips have enhanced the colour." She ran her fingers through the ends of Lilly's hair.

A few silent moments went by while Ruby and Lilly shifted uncomfortably. Fortunately for all, Miley broke the silence. "Let's grab our bags Lil, then we'll come down and help you with lunch." Both girls turned around to take their bags out the trunk.

"Oh, I've put you in your Mama's old bedroom and Lilly in the guest next to it."

Miley spun around. "Seriously Grandma?" Her jaw dropped to the floor. "Separate rooms?"

"Yes. I don't care what your Daddy or Mamaw says, while you're under my roof you two have separate bedrooms. You ain't married and you know my rules."

Miley opened her mouth to protest. "Miley." Lilly spoke with a low warning.

"Fine." She furrowed her eyebrows together in protest.

"Is the guest room the one I was in before?" Lilly asked.

"Yes, do you need a hand with your bags?"

"No thanks Ruby." Lilly smiled before picking up her bag and turning towards the front door.

Miley followed, grumbling as she went. "Why? I mean, why? This is a joke. And what's all this guff about being married; Daddy and Lori shared a room one night."

"Shut up." Lilly humped her bag up the stairs before dumping it in her room.

Miley stopped outside her door. "I love this room, but a single bed, seriously? All this time and a single bed, I need a double. I'll just fall out of it."

"Quiet glad that I'm in the other room. A double bed to myself... no one to take the duvet away from me, no one sprawling themselves across me..." Lilly smiled.

"No one to cuddle up too..." Miley gave her a cheeky smile. "I wanna know why Grandma has put us in separate rooms."

"To start with, probably because we're not married." Lilly pulled a face to show that it was obvious.

"Very attractive." She grabbed Lilly's face and placed her lips on her cheek, making it as wet as possible. You mustn't forget to give me a goodnight kiss."

"Just do me a favour Miles, don't make a big deal out of it, it's only four days, I'm sure we'll survive." She saw Miley open her mouth. "I know what you're gonna say, don't." She warned. "I like your Grandma and I don't fancy getting on her bad side."

Miley stepped closer to Lilly, her hair tickling Lilly's cheeks while Miley's hot breath hit her ear. "Well that's too bad, because I'm feeling quite horny." Miley stepped back gave Lilly a look of triumph and walked back to her room.

"Morning Grandma." Miley smiled as she sat down at the breakfast table.

"Hey. I was wondering when I was going to see you. It's nine already."

"Sorry, I'm so tired; I swear Mamaw is trying to kill me." She didn't mention that she had snuck in to Lilly's room in the middle of the night and dragged her out to one of the hay sheds. It had taken Miley half the night to pull the hay out of her hair.

"Well, I'll try not to do the same." She gave her granddaughter a smile. "I do have a couple of jobs if you wouldn't mind."

"Shoot." Miley took a sip of the cup of coffee that had been placed in front of her.

"The vegetable patch needs going over; my back just can't take the bending over."

"I thought Travis did that?" She said taking another sip.

"He used to but his chicken business just took off and he told me he didn't have time to work for me anymore."

"What about the shed you let him have?"

"He brought it off me and the land surrounding it, fair and square before you say anything else."

"Well done to Travis." Miley smiled.

"Yes, very hard working, good farmer and not to mention good looking."

Miley gave a frown as her Grandma rifled in her purse, not really sure what she was getting at. She decided to let it slide. "Okay, the vegetables, what else?"

"Can you sort out the tack in the barn, we've got so much stuff going spare that needs mending or throwing."

"Yeah no problem."

"Thank you darling. I would have fixed your breakfast but as you left your lazy ass in bed I've now got to go out and get the groceries. I'm sure you're old enough now that I can trust you with a pan. Bye Miley." She gave her granddaughter a grin and Miley rolled her eyes.

"Okay, I'll see you later." Miley resisted the temptation to ask what time she would be back; feeling that it would probably make her Grandma's head twirl round and fly off. She smiled as Ruby patted her on the shoulder before walking out the door. Miley finished her coffee, waiting for the sound of her Grandma's car disappearing up the drive. As soon as she knew she was clear she tiptoed upstairs in to Lilly's room. Miley crept round the side of the bed and knelt down next to her sleeping girlfriend. "Good morning!" She yelled.

"Holy crap!" Lilly visibly jumped, her heart rate accelerating. She looked around blinking, not really sure what was going on, her eyes laid on the brunette. "Oh Miley!" She groaned, pulling the warm covers back over her head.

"Wake up sleepy head." Miley pulled the duvet off Lilly's head.

"No. It's nice under here." She turned herself over and pulled then duvet back up over her head.

"Since when have you been so lazy? It's you who's normally up catch the waves and me left in bed."

"Since someone decided that she wanted some at some stupid time and dragged me out of my lovely warm bed." Lilly mumbled from the warmth that encased her.

"I'll cook you breakfast."

"Yeah right." Lilly rolled on to her back, rubbed her eyes before stretching out.

Miley crossed her arms on the bed and rested her head on top. "I'll make you breakfast. Grandma has gone out and left us to fend for ourselves."

Lilly rolled back over, tucking both hands underneath her face. "So that's why." She smiled. Miley moved her face closer and bit the end of Lilly's nose. "Miley!" She squealed before rubbing her nose.

"Well get up!"

"Y'know I get the feeling your Grandma doesn't exactly like me." Lilly had to space out the words as she tugged on a rather stubborn root. "Oh for God sakes!" She gave one final pull and the root gave way, send her flying. "I win." She held up the root with a grin while Miley bent over her fork with laughter.

"You are funny Lil. You're covered in dirt, look at the state of you!"

Lilly stood up and dusted herself off. "That's what a shower is for. Never mind. Did you hear what I said before?"

"I heard." Miley rested a foot on her fork before resuming what she was going to say. "And she doesn't hate you. She just doesn't know you all that well."

"She has met me quite a few times. I just get the impression that she's trying to give me the cold shoulder. Last night a dinner I tried to talking her but she seemed to be intent on having as little conversation with me as possible."

"You're just probably used to Mamaw who treats you like one us, Grandma Ruby's a little more reserved. It takes her a while to trust people."

"Okay." Lilly shrugged as she bent down to pull another weed.

"Hey." Miley moved off her foot and went over to stand by Lilly's side. She placed a soft hand on Lilly's hot shoulder. Lilly looked up through the mass of blonde hair that had fallen over her face. "Don't get upset by it. She does like you."

Lilly dropped her weed before standing up. "Sure doesn't feel like it, I thought you Tennessee people were all about Southern Hospitability."

"Don't be like that." Miley shook her head slightly as she said it. "Just give her a bit of time and don't be quite so forceful about it."

"Forceful, I was trying to be friendly." She emphasized that last word.

"There's a line Lilly, don't cross it. I swear it will be fine now please just leave it, I don't want to get in to a fight over something so silly."

"Okay." Lilly tried to get back to weeding but she felt Miley pull her back up.

"Don't. Come here." She pulled Lilly in to a hug, wrapping her arms around the top half of Lilly's torso.

"I'm sorry. I don't mean it; I just don't know what to do." Lilly reached up and placed her arms around her girlfriend's neck. Miley could feel Lilly's sweaty arms around her as it mingled with her own but chose ignored it.

"I told you don't worry about it."

"Your shoulders are burning." Lilly bent her head between her arm and Miley's neck. "They'll match your purse soon. You need some sunscreen on them." Lilly rubbed a finger across them, feeling how solid the skin felt underneath.

"They'll be fine, I hate the stuff, it makes all the dust stick to me." Miley let Lilly go, but an arm still remained around her girlfriend's neck. "I'll tell you what, we'll go out and get some lunch and then come back to this. How about that?"

"Like this?" Lilly looked at herself before looking at Miley.

"I'll take you to a scuzzy burger place; we'll be the best looking things in there by miles."

Saturday and Sunday passed at Grandma Ruby's and Lilly was feeling increasingly uncomfortable. Over the course of the weekend she had found herself feeling more and more isolated by her girlfriends Grandma. Lilly swore that every time she tried to make conversation or offered to help, Ruby would find some sort of excuse to leave the room. The one thing that puzzled Lilly so much was it only happened if she was on her own with Ruby, never when Miley was with her. After the conversation with Miley in the vegetable patch Lilly had decided to leave it, she really didn't want to cause anymore family upset, let alone anymore drama in her own relationship.

Monday morning saw Miley and Lilly sat down at the breakfast table alone with Ruby. It was early, and Robbie hadn't even arose, let alone Jackson.

"Miley, could you just check on the eggs?" Ruby asked with her back to her, stirring furiously on the other stove.

"Hold on a sec Grandma, I'm just doing the coffee. Lil, can you?"

Lilly got up but before she could even begin to move Ruby had already stopped what she was doing and flying over to the eggs. "I've got it." She said quickly.

Miley looked over her shoulder at Lilly and gave her a questioning look. Lilly no longer gave a toss how Ruby treated her and shrugged and sat back down. She sat in silence as Miley placed a coffee in front of her, swirling it round as she watched the dark liquid move around her mug, waiting for breakfast to be served.

Miley observed how quiet Lilly had become over the past few days, her usual lively presence that normally geared everyone up seemed to have left. Slotting the toast in the rack she placed it on the table, giving Lilly a look once more before placing a soft hand over her girlfriend's shoulder. "You okay?" Miley mouthed, Lilly looked up, her blue eyes dull and a half smile confirmed to Miley that the situation with Ruby was affecting Lilly more than she originally thought. She leant down next to Lilly. "We'll talk." She kissed Lilly's temple before helping her Grandma bring the breakfast over.

An awkward silence filled the room; the only sound was the chewing of toast and the knife cutting across the plates. Miley tried to keep the conversation going but found it almost impossible with two people who refused to talk to one another. Miley placed her elbow on the table and sighed.

Finishing her eggs and toast in record time Lilly finally spoke. "I'll do the washing up Ruby as you and Miley have cooked."

"No, no, its fine, I'll do it." She said briskly.

"Please, you're making me feel bad, I hate not doing something." Lilly smiled, grinding her back teeth at the sheer stubbornness of Miley's Grandma. "I feel like I haven't done anything to help."

Ruby gave a small snort which didn't go unnoticed by the two girls.

"Everything alright Grandma?" Miley furrowed her brows at her, finally getting at what Lilly had been on about over the weekend. "We'll do the washing up then, anyway I thought you had an appointment with a farmer across town? Don't you need to be there for 8-00am? It's like 7-20am now, it's gonna take you at least twenty minutes to get there."

"Fine. I'm gonna go and get ready."She dropped her fork and pushed her chair backwards.

Miley and Lilly continued to chew in silence, neither of them wishing to comment on what had just happened.

Miley waited until Ruby had gone out the door before speaking. "I'm so sorry Lilly, I didn't realise she was treating you so awfully." She watched Lilly who had stood up, still remaining silent. "Lilly, please, don't do this to me, it's hardly my fault." Lilly moved around the room, picking up plates and saucepans before depositing them in the sink. "Don't be cross with me." Miley closed the space between her and Lilly.

Lilly refused to yield to Miley's wiles, well aware that she used herself to her advantage when she needed to. She kept her back to her girlfriend, continuing to wash the plates. "I'm not cross Miley, but for God sakes stop pressing your body against mine. Trying to dry hump me in your Grandma's kitchen certainly isn't going to help."

"I'm not dry humping you." Miley rested her head against Lilly's. "Lilly turn around and look at me, I know you're still pissed."

Lilly stopped washing plates but kept her back turned. "Yeah, alright I'm pissed. I know she's your Grandma, I'm sorry but I don't know what I've done to deserve this treatment."

"I know. Will you please turn around and look at me?" Miley drew back a little and allowed Lilly to rotate round. Lilly tilted her head up slightly to look in to Miley's eyes. "I'll have a chat with her."

"No." Lilly rolled her head from side to side. "That'll just make everything worse."

"Every time you're in the room with one another it feels like everything has frozen over, you could cut the tension with a knife."

"But you'll make it even worse; it will be admitting how uncomfortable we are."

"You already aren't talking to one another so what difference will it make, we're leaving in a few days."

Lilly shrugged. "Say something if you wanna but it won't bother me if you don't." She turned her back on Miley and continued to scrub the plates.

"Don't you get that it bothers me Lilly?" The exasperation in her voice showing. "I know she's targeting you but it hurts me too. You're as much part of this family as I am Lilly."

"Certainly doesn't feel that way right now."

Miley rubbed a frustrated hand across her face. "You know what; I can't deal with you right now. I'm gonna go and have some time to myself." Miley walked away, not entirely defeated but stressed nonetheless. "I'm still talking to Grandma." She said quietly before slipping out.